Conflicting reports are emerging from Al-Ahsa about the number of coronavirus infections in the region.
The Al-Ahsa health department has said that there is only one confirmed case. However, the brother of a person infected with the virus said yesterday that in the hospital there are at least four persons in isolated rooms who are suspected of being infected.
One of the physicians treating infected patients refused to reveal the number of confirmed cases. “We are not allowed to reveal any details in this regard.”
Ibrahim Al-Higgi, spokesman for Al-Ahsa department of health, would not answer any questions because only the ministry is authorized to provide public statements.
A 19-year-old woman was discharged from King Fahd hospital in Hofuf after it was confirmed that she was not infected with the virus.
But two of her brothers were infected and the virus claimed the life of her father. One of her brothers, 28, left the hospital after being cured. Her other brother, 31, is still in the intensive care unit at King Fahd hospital.
A brother of the two infected patients said that he tried to meet Dr. Abdullah Asiri, who is in charge of infection control at the Ministry of Health, who visited Al-Ahsa last Tuesday. “But two hours prior to the appointment, he called me and said he could not meet me, although he visited my brother in the ICU.”
He added: “We are still at a loss about the condition of our brother who is still in the hospital.”
The Ministry of Health announced earlier that there were 13 people infected with the deadly virus, of whom seven died.